HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRAFT 2024 Economic Development Element for Public Review_4.11.24
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 1
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: February 26, 2024
Economic Development
Renton Comprehensive Plan Update Element Policies Draft
Draft #3.1: Updated: April 11, 2024
Summary of Updates
Washinton State Law:
▪ N/A
VISION 2050:
▪ Focus retention and recruitment efforts and activities to foster a positive business climate and diversify employment opportunities (emphasis on targeting
locally-, women-, and minority-owned small businesses and start-ups, established and emerging industries that address climate change and resilience).
▪ Promote strategies and policies that expand access to opportunity and remove barriers for economically disconnected communities.
▪ Address and prevent potential physical, economic, and cultural displacement of existing businesses that may result from redevelopment and market
pressure.
▪ Promote environmentally and socially responsible business practices, especially those addressing climate change, resilience, and improved health outcomes.
▪ Support, recognize, and empower the contributions of the region’s culturally and ethnically diverse communities, institutions, and Native Tribes.
King County Countywide Planning Policies:
▪ Support the Regional Economic Strategy.
▪ Support advanced manufacturing throughout the county.
▪ Foster a supportive business environment for locally owned and women and minority owned businesses.
▪ Reduce historic and ongoing disparities in income and employment opportunities for communities that have been economically disadvantaged.
▪ Call for the development of a system that provides a safety net during economic downturns.
▪ Prioritize a diversity of middle-wage jobs.
▪ Encourage the public and private sectors to incorporate environmental stewardship and social responsibility into their practices.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 2
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Plans to be Adopted by Reference:
▪ Clean Economy Strategy 2.0
▪ Downtown Civic Core Vision and Action Plan
▪ Rainier/Grady Junction TOD Subarea Plan
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Discussion
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 3
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Discussion
Table 1. Economic Development Discussion Review
2015 Text Draft Language
Renton’s economic development promotes it as the progressive, opportunity-rich city
in the Puget Sound region. Renton’s economic development policies encourage
collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure the long-term
economic health of Renton and its residents. A healthy economy provides jobs and
opportunity and helps pay for vital public services such as education, parks,
transportation, police and fire protection, and human services. The policies
encourage a mix of high-tech, creative jobs, as well as retail, service, and office uses
that will result in a diversified employment base. The policies encourage high quality
development necessary to sustain a high standard of living in Renton.
A healthy economy provides jobs and opportunity and helps pay for vital public
services such as education, parks, transportation, police and fire protection,
and human services. Renton is an opportunity-rich city in the Puget Sound
region. The city’s economic development policies encourage collaboration
between the public and private sectors to ensure the long-term economic
health of Renton and its residents and businesses. The policies encourage a
mix of high-tech, creative jobs, as well as retail, service, and office uses that
will result in a diversified employment base to support an economy for all
people. Guided by the city’s Clean Economy Strategy, Renton aims to enhance
environmental sustainability and prepare for climate change while
maintaining and building a strong economy and providing local green jobs.
Led by local companies such as Boeing and PACCAR Inc., Renton’s key
industries are manufacturing, aerospace, destination retail, health care,
professional services, professional sports, and technology.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Goals
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 4
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Goals
Table 2. Goals
Row
# 2015 Goal Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
1 ED-A: Promote and maintain diversified economic
growth by utilizing resources and amenities to
stimulate economic development while
protecting quality of life through environmental
sustainability and increased employment
opportunities to ensure competitiveness in the
market.
ED-A: Promote and maintain diversified economic
growth while protecting quality of life and
environmental health, including climate impacts.
▪ Revised for clarity and to focus on one topic.
2 ED-B: Recruit and retain businesses to ensure a
dynamic, diversified employment base. Nurture
entrepreneurship while fostering successful
partnerships with business and community
leaders. Invest in and grow workforce training
and retraining opportunities to support targeted
local industry clusters. Build a diverse economic
industry base in areas of aerospace, healthcare,
and creative industries (high-tech, design,
software, local artisan, gaming, and architecture,
etc.).
ED-B: Recruit and retain businesses to ensure a
dynamic, diversified, and growing base that provides
employment opportunities for all to ensure
competitiveness in the market.
▪ Revised for clarity and to focus on one topic.
3 ED-X: Nurture entrepreneurship while fostering
successful partnerships with business and
community leaders. Invest in and grow workforce
training and retraining opportunities to support
targeted local industry clusters.
▪ Revised for clarity and to focus on one topic.
4 ED-X: Focus efforts that expand access to economic
opportunity and identify and remove barriers for
economically disconnected communities.
▪ Added policy for consistency with PSRC VISION
2050 checklist.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Goals
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Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Goal Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
5 ED-C: Leverage public and private resources to
focus development on targeted economic
centers, in addition to industry clusters, and
pursue transportation and other regional
improvements and services that support and
improve quality of life. Foster commercial and
residential development, and cultivate optimism
and focus towards redevelopment of public and
private spaces throughout the city.
ED-C: Leverage partnerships to focus development
on targeted economic centers, in addition to
industry clusters, and pursue transportation and
other regional improvements and services that
support and improve quality of life for all people.
Foster commercial and residential development and
cultivate optimism and focus on redevelopment of
public and private spaces throughout the city.
▪ Revised for clarity and to incorporate inclusive
language.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 6
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Policies
Table 3. Policies
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
1 Policy ED-1: Develop incentives for businesses to
locate, stay, and expand within the city; provide
incentives for economic development within the
city’s Growth Center, neighborhood business
districts, and commercial corridors.
Policy ED-1: Develop incentives for businesses to
locate, stay, and expand within the city, particularly
within the city’s Growth Center, neighborhood
business districts, and commercial corridors.
▪ Revised for consistency with PSRC VISION 2050
checklist.
2 -- Policy ED-X: Support and develop measures to
reduce displacement of existing businesses in
Renton. Strategies could include small business
preservation programs offering technical assistance
and capacity-building services, preservation of
existing affordable commercial spaces, create and
foster new commercial spaces, business incubators,
and other strategies.
▪ Added policy to address displacement and for
consistency with PSRC VISION 2050 checklist.
3 -- Policy ED-X: Consistent with the Clean Economy
Strategy 2.0, develop strategies to attract industries
and businesses that address climate change and
resilience and provide clean jobs.
▪ Added policy for consistency with PSRC VISION
2050 checklist.
4 Policy ED-2: Promote targeted local and regional
industry cluster development: meet with top
employers and key organizations to identify and
discuss their future needs to determine how the
city can assist them in being successful in
expanding in Renton.
Policy ED-2: Promote targeted local and regional
industry cluster development: meet with top
employers and key organizations to identify and
discuss their future needs to determine how the city
can assist them in being successful in expanding in
Renton to create job opportunities for all community
members.
▪ Revised to incorporate inclusive language.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 7
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
5 Policy ED-3: Foster communications with, and
support for key local and regional economic
foundations. Support partnerships between
businesses, government, schools, and research
institutions to implement economic development
policies and promote workforce development
programs.
Policy ED-3: Foster communications with, and
support for key local and regional economic
foundations. Support partnerships between
businesses, government, schools, and research
institutions to implement economic development
policies and expand access and opportunities for
workforce development programs.
▪ Revised for clarity.
6 Policy ED-4: Develop a retail recruitment strategy
with an emphasis on business district
development.
Policy ED-4: Develop a business recruitment
strategy with an emphasis on business district
development.
▪ Updated to reflect the city’s current strategy.
7 Policy ED-5: Implement strategies to foster and
expand knowledge-based businesses, high
profile companies, and locally owned startups.
Policy ED-5: Implement strategies to support,
recognize, empower, and expand knowledge-based
businesses, high profile companies, and locally-,
women-, and minority- owned businesses and
startups.
▪ Revised for consistency with PSRC VISION 2050
checklist.
8 Policy ED-6: Ensure Renton’s Economic
Development Element is consistent with
countywide economic policies and strategies in
accordance with relevant Countywide Planning
Policies.
Policy ED-6: Ensure Renton’s Economic
Development Element is consistent with countywide
economic policies and strategies in accordance with
relevant Countywide Planning Policies.
▪ No change proposed.
9 Policy ED-7: Provide transparency, efficiency, and
uniformity of city regulations, policies, and
procedures. Allocate sufficient resources to
process development projects quickly and
professionally.
Policy ED-7: Provide transparency, efficiency, and
uniformity of city regulations, policies, and
procedures. Allocate sufficient resources to process
development projects quickly and professionally.
▪ No change proposed.
10 Policy ED-8: Define and develop Renton’s unique
cultural, historic, recreational, educational, and
environmental assets as important marketing
and image-building tools of the city’s business
districts and neighborhoods.
Policy ED-8: Leverage Renton’s unique cultural,
historic, recreational, educational, and
environmental assets as important marketing and
image-building tools of the city’s business districts
and neighborhoods.
Updated to reflect current strategy
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 8
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
11 Policy ED-9: Support Downtown Renton
redevelopment by engaging Downtown
stakeholders and business community members
with efforts to implement the City Council’s
priorities for the City Center Community Plan.
Policy ED-9: Support Downtown Renton
redevelopment by engaging Downtown stakeholders
and business community members with efforts to
implement the City Council’s priorities for the City
Center Community Plan and Downtown Civic Core
Vision and Action Plan.
▪ Revised to include newly adopted plans.
12 Policy ED-9: Promote incentives for multifamily
development in Downtown. Work with
prospective single-family and multifamily
developers to facilitate new residential
development with a diversity of housing types
and price ranges to meet the needs of Renton
citizens.
Policy ED-9: Promote incentives for development in
the targeted growth areas of Renton. Work with
prospective developers to facilitate new residential
development with a diversity of housing types and
price ranges to meet the needs of all Renton
residents.
▪ Revised for clarity and to incorporate inclusive
language.
13 Policy ED-11: Encourage growth that balances
employment and housing opportunities within
designated urban centers by promoting
investment in mixed-use centers with compact
urban development, specifically advocating for
redevelopment and quality infill design that
maximizes allowable density.
Policy ED-11: Encourage growth that balances
employment and housing opportunities within
designated urban centers by promoting investment
in mixed-use centers with compact urban
development, specifically advocating for
redevelopment and quality infill design that
maximizes allowable density.
▪ No change proposed.
14 Policy ED-12: Facilitate the Sunset Area
Community Revitalization; engage with Renton
Housing Authority and prospective developers to
identify additional opportunities for the city to
successfully leverage capital investment in the
Sunset Area.
▪ Policy removed; project largely complete.
15 Policy ED-13: Foster economic and employment
growth by encouraging local investment,
planning, and financial policies that advance the
development of commercial, manufacturing, and
industrial development centers.
Policy ED-13: Foster economic and employment
growth by encouraging local investment, planning,
and financial policies that advance the development
of commercial, manufacturing, and industrial
development centers.
▪ No change proposed.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 9
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
16 Policy ED-14: Encourage investments that
address future needs; focus investment in
infrastructure and services in designated centers
that align with the city’s projected population,
housing, and job growth targets.
Policy ED-14: Focus investment in infrastructure and
services in designated centers that align with the
city’s projected population, housing, and job growth
targets.
▪ Revised for clarity.
17 Policy ED-15: Implement the Renton Airport
Compatible Land Use Program when guiding
development within the Airport Influence Area.
▪ Policy removed; program implemented.
18 Policy ED-16: Further the provisions of Creating
Renton’s Clean Economy. Attract low-carbon and
clean-energy sectors and promote green job
development. Encourage economic activity that is
highly resource-efficient and minimizes the
generation of waste and pollution.
Policy ED-16: Further the provisions of Renton’s
Clean Economy Strategy, including attracting low-
carbon and clean-energy sectors, promoting green
job development, and encouraging economic activity
that is highly resource-efficient and minimizes the
generation of waste and pollution.
▪ Revised for clarity.
19 Policy ED-17: Promote the efficient use of
services and resources, including conserving
water and energy, reducing waste, and protecting
resource lands. Work cooperatively with local
businesses to help protect the natural
environment in a manner that is efficient and
predictable.
Policy ED-17: Promote the efficient use of services
and resources, especially those addressing climate
change, resilience, and improved health outcomes.
▪ Revised for consistency with PSRC VISION 2050
checklist.
▪ Policy split for clarity.
Policy ED-X: Work cooperatively with local
businesses to help promote environmental and
socially responsible business practices, including
providing guidance and technical assistance.
▪ Policy split for clarity.
21 Policy ED-18: Provide peripheral support to
community services to facilitate the growth of a
regional food economy through the development
and expansion of farmers’ markets, food co-ops,
and community supported agriculture programs.
Policy ED-18: Support the growth of a regional food
economy through the development and expansion of
farmers’ markets, food co-ops, food halls, and
community supported agriculture programs.
▪ Updated to reflect the city’s current strategy.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 10
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
22 Policy ED-19: Support collaboration with the
Renton Housing Authority to encourage economic
development strategies that address disparities
in income and employment opportunities for
economically disadvantaged populations,
including minorities and women.
Policy ED-19: Support collaboration with community
partners, such as the Renton Housing Authority,
Renton Technical College, Renton School District,
and Renton Chamber of Commerce, to encourage
economic development strategies that address
disparities in income and employment opportunities
for economically disadvantaged and disconnected
communities.
▪ Revised for consistency with PSRC VISION 2050
checklist.
23 Policy ED-20: Develop and promote local arts and
culture programs, particularly by supporting the
Renton Municipal Arts Commission. Encourage
investments in creative industries and centers,
bolster earned income for local attractions, and
generate new tax revenues by attracting cultural
tourists to the city while expanding cultural
experiences for residents.
Policy ED-20: Develop and promote local arts and
culture programs, particularly by supporting the
Renton Municipal Arts Commission. Encourage
investments in creative industries and centers,
bolster earned income for local attractions, and
generate new tax revenues by attracting cultural
tourists to the city while expanding cultural
experiences for residents.
▪ No change proposed.
24 Policy ED-21: Identify and encourage the
preservation of lands, sites, and structures that
have historical, cultural, and/or archaeological
significance.
Policy ED-21: Identify and encourage the
preservation of lands, sites, and structures that
have historical, cultural, and/or archaeological
significance.
▪ No change proposed.
25 -- Policy ED-22: Maintain participation in the
Mainstreet Program and consider establishing a
historic district as strategies to preserve affordable
and smaller commercial spaces and prevent
displacement of existing businesses.
▪ Added policy for consistency with PSRC VISION
2050 checklist.
Element Review ▪ Economic Development ▪ Policies
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 2024 11
Draft 3.0 Draft Revised: April 11, 2024
Row
# 2015 Policy Proposed Language Change Purpose or Rationale
26 -- Policy ED-23: Support, recognize, and empower the
contributions of Renton’s culturally and ethnically
diverse communities, institutions, and Native Tribes.
Strategies could include promoting community
events that celebrate different cultures, honoring
traditional practices, encouraging business
incubators to support business formation including
BIPOC-owned businesses, or other strategies.
▪ Added policy for consistency with PSRC VISION
2050 checklist.